2025 Legislative Agenda
The Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga works diligently to improve the lives of Tennessee women in the areas that matter most: economic opportunity, health, and safety.
Click on the headings below to review the top 20 bills we are watching in 2025.
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HB2/SB2 - SUPPORT
Grocery Tax - As introduced, enacts the "End the Grocery Tax by Closing Corporate Loopholes Act." - Amends TCA Title 57 and Title 67.HB21/SB1367 - SUPPORT
Grocery Tax - As introduced, exempts from the state sales and use tax the retail sale of food and food ingredients. - Amends TCA Title 57, Chapter 3 and Title 67.HB915/SB322 - SUPPORT
Paid Leave - As introduced, grants eligible employees leave of up to six workweeks because the employee is caring for a family member with a serious health condition. - Amends TCA Section 8-50-813.HB178/SB471 - OPPOSE
Family Life Curriculum - As introduced, establishes that family life curriculum must include age-appropriate instruction and evidence regarding the positive personal and societal outcomes associated with the method by which a person completes the following in sequential order: obtains a high school diploma or high school equivalency credential; enters into the workforce or pursues a postsecondary degree or credential; enters into marriage; and has children. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 13. -
HB70/SB205 - SUPPORT
TennCare - As introduced, requires a TennCare health benefit plan renewed or issued on or after July 1, 2025, by a health insurance carrier to provide coverage and reimbursement for biomarker testing for preeclampsia in pregnant women. - Amends TCA Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.HB533/SB449 - SUPPORT
Fertility and Contraception Protection - As introduced, enacts the "Fertility Treatment and Contraceptive Protection Act." - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.HB179/SB345 - SUPPORT
Reproductive Rights - As introduced, specifies that the offense of criminal abortion does not include an abortion that was necessary due to a medical emergency affecting the physical or mental health of the pregnant person or performed on a patient whose pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 15; Title 63 and Title 68.HJR7 - OPPOSE
Personhood Definition - Proposes an amendment to Article I of the Constitution of Tennessee to declare that a person shall not be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall a person be denied equal protection of the law; defines "person" to include every human being from fertilization to natural death.HB295/SB44 - SUPPORT
TennCare - As introduced, adds doula services performed by a person with a verification of certification to the list of services that may be provided as medical assistance under the TennCare program; directs the department of health to establish by rule a process for the verification of certification to a person who demonstrates that the person has completed a doula training program that meets certain requirements. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 71.HB39/SB155 - SUPPORT
Period Products - As introduced, enacts the "Menstrual Hygiene Products Accessibility Act," which requires, instead of authorizes, LEAs and public charter schools to provide feminine hygiene products at no charge in all women's and girls' bathrooms, in all locker rooms, and with school nurses at each public senior high school for student use only. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 49 and Title 67.HB595/SB463 - SUPPORT
Insurance for Fertility Protection - As introduced, enacts the "Freedom to Grow Our Tennessee Families Act." - Amends TCA Title 56 and Title 71.HB793/SB836 - OPPOSE
Immigration and Schools - As introduced, authorizes LEAs and public charter schools to refuse to enroll students who are unlawfully present in the United States. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 49.HB304/SB266 - OPPOSE
Flags - As introduced, prohibits state and local government entities from displaying or allowing display of flags other than Tennessee and U.S. flags on courthouses and public roads and sidewalks; prohibits LEAs and public charter schools from displaying in public schools flags other than the official United States flag and the official Tennessee state flag. - Amends TCA Title 4; Section 5-5-114; Section 6-54-144; Title 7; Section 15-2-116; Title 49; Title 55; Title 58 and Title 65, Chapter 31, Part 1. -
HB506/SB344 - SUPPORT
Schools and Safety - As introduced, requires at least one full-time employee at each school under the jurisdiction of an LEA or public charter school to annually receive training in seizure safety and first aid. - Amends TCA Title 49; Title 50 and Title 71.HJR53 - OPPOSE
Gun Safety and Control Laws - Proposes an amendment to Article I, Section 26 of the Constitution of Tennessee to remove the provision that authorizes the legislature to regulate the wearing of arms with a view to prevent crime and to clarify that citizens have a right to keep and bear arms.HB445/SB407 - SUPPORT
Restoration of Rights - As introduced, revises the procedure for restoration of rights of citizenship. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 22; Title 36; Title 39 and Title 40.HB182/SB171 - SUPPORT
Anti-Human Trafficking - As introduced, enacts "The Ink of Hope Act"; requires tattoo operators and tattoo artists to complete up to one hour of training on recognizing and reporting signs of human trafficking. - Amends TCA Title 62, Chapter 38.HB64/SB472 - OPPOSE
Segregation of School Bathrooms - As introduced, requires all residential educational programs in this state, regardless of type or duration, that allow minors to participate or to access residential facilities to segregate all restrooms, changing areas, and showers by immutable biological sex. - Amends TCA Title 49.HB361/SB406 - SUPPORT
Orders of Protection - As introduced, expands the courts in Shelby County that can hear a petition for an order of protection to include a criminal court when the criminal court is hearing a criminal matter involving a domestic abuse victim, sexual assault victim, or stalking victim. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 18 and Title 36.HB464/SB465 - SUPPORT
Immunity for Drug Overdose - As introduced, removes the limitation that a person who is experiencing a drug overdose only has immunity from being arrested, charged, or prosecuted on the first drug overdose. - Amends TCA Title 50; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68.
Resources:
Tennessee General Assembly website including:
Secretary of State’s website to research chaptered bills.
ThinkTNs State of Our State Dashboard
Hamilton County, TN voter information
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